Wishing You Well
by Caroline Lucky Conlon
Summary: All I wanted was to fit in, I never thought it would come to this. It was a stupid star and a small wish. Now, I'm stuck in the one place where I will never be found...Manhattan, New York in the year 1900.
1. Wishing You Well

_**Shocking I know, actually hooking Spot up with someone besides Caroline…But I will write more stories about them because they are my favorite pairing. And I have a ton of other stories about their future[: Well here is the prologue to Wishing You Well. Read, Review and Favorite![:**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies, Star Wars, Chips Ahoy! or Coke. Wow, I am rather pathetic…:[ **_

_**Wishing You Well: My Wish**_

"Who would ever guess that Darth Vader was Luke's father? I mean how that is even possible!" My best friend, Rachel, said from beside me. We were sitting down on the couch in my basement watching _Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back_ for about the thousandth time in the past year alone.

"Well, a child is conceived when a man and a woman love each other very much, they…" I said sarcastically.

"Alright, alright already!" she rolled her eyes and shoved a gummy worm in her mouth. "Okay really, Amy, I know where babies come from. I learned that in like first grade!" I rolled my eyes as her attention quickly went back to the film. "I will admit though, Mark Hamlin was very, very yummy."

"Umm, alright, he is kinda, ehh, I don't know thirty years older than us." Her eyes were still glued to the television and I swore a drop of drool was coming down from the corner of her mouth. "I'm just going to say this because you're my best friend but, you're a freak." She pouted as she reached back for a pillow and smacked me across the face with it. She burst out laughing hysterically. I made my face stern as I reached behind me and grabbed my own pillow. I smacked her in the head as well. It was my turn to laugh.

This was our typical Friday nights. We sat on my couch, watching movies and drank coke until we puked. We didn't go to Friday night football games or the homecoming dances or participate in any school functions for that matter. We saw no point; we were the geeks of the school and no one liked us.

Not that we tried to be geeks but that was just the way it had always been. Since our first day of high school, we ended at the bottom of the totem pole, even under the druggies and the video game fanatics. It all happened because of some experience with me, milk and Hayley Stevens. They day also earned me the nickname Slipper…

"Well, you wanna switch the movie?" Rachel asked me as she was putting her sandy blonde hair back into a sloppy bun then quickly taking it out. I smirked as I walked over to the DVD player. I pulled out _Star Wars_ and put it back in its case. I looked on the shelf as if trying to decide what I wanted to watch, even though I already knew. "Okay hurry up, we both know what you're going to pick."

I chuckled as I turned around to see her already in her black cabby hat and a pair of yellow suspenders. You see, ever since I was a little kid, I have had two best friends. One, of course, being Rachel and the other being _Newsies. _I knew every song, line, dance, and actors name and part in the film. I guess I was what people called obsessed…I just called it love.

I grabbed my black cabby and black suspenders. There was no one specific newsie I was obsessed with, I loved them all the same. That is…except one. Spot Conlon, of course…He is the only newsie I absolutely hated with a passion. He is a self-centered, arrogant, jerk and many other words my parents have taught me not to say...Well that is the vibe I got from him in the movie. In my opinion he was a little cute but still, I had absolutely no interest in watching him on the screen any more than I had to.

"Coming soon to theaters." The announcer's voice came from the television. I quickly hit the menu button and the sound of the _World Will Know _instrumental began playing. I started laughing like a crazy person, barely holding back my excitement. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rachel just shrugged her shoulders.

"You kids want cookies?" my mom's voice came from the kitchen just outside the door upstairs. She must have heard the music. I looked over at Rachel and she was nodding frantically.

"Hecks yeah!" I yelled quickly. Seconds later my mom appeared with a plate full _Chips Ahoy! _cookies and two glasses of milk. "Thanks mom." We both said in unison. We called each other's parents mom and dad, it had become more of a habit now.

My mom walked back upstairs and I pressed the play button. Max Casella's voice rang through my basement as I dunked my first cookie into my milk. It tasted absolutely amazing, so I had to eat another one, then another, then another. Needless to say, I love cookies and most other sweets.

"Now that is one fine man!" Rachel yelled from beside me. Mush had just come on the screen for the first time without a shirt on. For as long as me and her have been watching this movie, she has had a slight crush on Mush, okay more like a large one. Personally, I don't blame her…he was rather attractive. "Now if I could just find a man like that, we would be in good shape." We exchanged glances and laughed.

After two hours of singing like idiots and dancing on occasions, the movie, sadly, ended. "Amazing, as always." I smiled. Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed. We both made our way up the stairs with the empty plate of cookies and the half-filled glasses of milk, belting King of New York at the top of our lungs. When we got up there, the TV was playing the elven o'clock news.

"Amethyst?" my mom asked using my full name. I groaned, rolling my eyes.

"Yes Margret?" I smirked.

"Don't call me that. You know better." She would usually at this point give me a lecture, but her voice sounded tired. "But can you grab me and your father a Diet Coke from the fridge please." I put the plate down and made my way to the fridge and grabbed two Cokes. My baby sister was lying on a blanket in the middle of the floor sleeping. "She get up or something?" my mother nodded her head with her eyes slowly shutting.

I quickly handed them the drinks and walked over to the blanket. I kissed Sapphire on the head gently and handed her stuffed monkey to her. Yes, my little sisters name is Sapphire as in the really pretty blue stone. We were both named after precious stones. Although for her it makes more sense because her eyes are a very deep blue, while mine are an ugly green. The main reason we got our names was because my parents wanted to be geologists when they were younger, then they decided to have a family. Well more like I came along and ruined everything… Now my mom is a nurse at an urgent care, who took time off to spend with my sister, and my dad is a science teacher at my high school.

I jumped up and kissed my mom's forehead and rested a blanket gently over her. She was already asleep. Then I walked over to my dad and said good night and kissed his cheek. I skipped back into the kitchen to discover something missing. "Rachel?" I whispered. "Chewy?" I said a little louder.

"Out here!" she called from the porch. It was pitch black outside and not a single cloud in sight, which meant you could see the stars perfectly. I joined my best friend out on the porch. "Beautiful aren't they?" I looked up and nodded my head. I had loved stars since I was a little kid. My father and I would sit out on my roof and he would point out tons of constellations. I pretty much know all of them now.

"Hey look, you see those stars there?" I pointed up to a grouping of stars in the shape of warrior.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's Orion. You have told me, eh, six thousand times." She said sarcastically. That was when I saw it, looking up into the sky, a shooting star! "Did you see that?" she asked pointing into the sky.

"Yeah! Quick make a wish!" we both shut our eyes. _I wish that I could find a place to fit in, a place where I didn't have to be ashamed of who I was or what I looked like. _I opened my eyes and looked over at Rachel, her eyes were still closed. Once she opened them a smile graced her lips. "So, what did ya wish for?" I asked slyly.

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true!" she yelled walking back in the door and I turned back to shush her but she already was covering her mouth with her hand. My parents needed to sleep and for past couple of months, that is something they haven't been getting enough of because of the baby. I went into the fridge and grabbed a container of chocolate icing and two spoons.

"Oh come on, that isn't true. Because I haven't told people my wishes, and I am still not a millionaire." We laughed as we went back downstairs and changed out of our suspenders and hats. "Come on Chewy, tell me." Yes that is the same Chewy from Star Wars, I'm Yoda. Don't judge, we were six when we came up with them, give us a break.

"Its embarrassing." she mumbled as she went over to her bag. I pulled on a pair of _Victoria Secrets _lounge shorts and a black shirt that said _got newsies?_ on the front.

"I'll tell you mine," I bribed her sitting down on the couch crossing my legs.

"Fine," she put her hair up in a ponytail. "I wished…" she cupped her hand around my ear, whispering "I wished I would fall in love." Her face turned the color of a tomato.

"Aw, my little Rachel is growing up!" I said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up, I am defiantly three months older than you and I have my license _and _a car." I rolled my eyes and opened the container of icing. I stuck in my spoon and began licking it like a sucker. "So Miss Meanie Butt, what did you wish for that was all high and great, huh?" she stuck her finger in the icing and began licking it.

"Eww, use a spoon next time!" I shouted.

"Oh don't try and change the topic. What did you wish for?" she sat across from me on the couch.

"Uh, um, er…" I bit my lip. I could tell Rachel anything, but this was just too personal. She never had a problem with not fitting in, and I let on the act I didn't let it affect me either, but truth is, it bugged the hell out of me. I just would like to be able to have more than one best friend, or have a boyfriend. Hell, I'd love to even go to Homecoming but we knew if we did, then we would get made fun of. I stuck the spoon in the icing again and shoved the whole spoon in my mouth.

"Ahh come on Amy…I mean _Amethyst_." she said. I _hated_ my name period, and I liked Amy a whole lot better. I have to think of something quick…I looked at the opposite wall. On the floor was my black cabby under my signed Newsies poster, that's when it hit me…when in doubt, _Newsie_ it out.

"Fine," I began chipping at my black nail polish. "I wished I could be a newsie."

_So tell me what you think(: You know like a review(:_

_-Caroline Conlon_


	2. Accidents Happen

_**Chapter Two: Accidents Happen.**_

On Monday morning I got up at 5:30 for school, and threw on a pair of ripped jeans and a t-shirt from our last vacation to New York. I also grabbed a black hoodie with our mascot, a hornet, on it. Not even touching my hair, I ran upstairs from the basement, which doubled as my room, to the kitchen. Before I ever did anything to make myself decent, I needed that wonderful thing called coffee.

When I reached the top of the steps I discovered my father leaning against the island reading the paper and drinking from a cup that said _Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity, _which a student gave him for Christmas one year. He was one of the most loved teachers at our school. I walked by him to the cupboard that held all the coffee mugs. "Good morning honey, I didn't hear you walk in." my dad said taking another sip of his coffee.

I gave a small wave over my shoulder and reached for a mug in the far back. It was one of those picture mugs that you put pictures of your friends or stuff in, well as you can guess…mine is newsies. It is a picture of every newsie in the movie (with the exception of Spot Conlon, of course).

I picked up the coffee pot and filled it up about three-fourths of the way. "Here," my dad said holding out my blueberry coffee cream, not even looking up from his paper.

"Thanks," I mumbled. I poured it in and quickly took a sip. Instantly, I felt better. My dad threw the paper down on the table and scooted back out of his chair.

"Hey Ams' do you think Rachel could give you a lift home after school? I have a late meeting tonight." he said as he took the last sip and washed out his mug.

"She has taken me home almost every day this year, so yeah." I said, with a little sarcasm hinted in it. My dad rolled his eyes and buttoned the top button of his shirt and tightened his tie.

He looked down at his watch, "Dang, is that really the time?" he ran over and grabbed his briefcase and his jacket before he ran over to me and kissed the top of my head. "I love you Amy." he yelled as he ran out the door.

I chuckled quietly as I took another sip. My father had never been on time to anything in his entire life. My mom always said that he would have been late for my birth if she hadn't personally gone to get him while she was in labor.

I finished of my coffee and ran into the basement and shut the door. When the door was shut, my room was sound proof. I went over to my IPod, which were connected to my speakers, and turned on my other love, My Chemical Romance. The song Teenagers blared through my room as I ran into the bathroom to straighten my hair, wash my face and put on some mascara and eyeliner as it changed to Famous Last Words. Just as I pulled my hair into a messy bun it changed once more to Ghost of You.

I had always had a small obsession with this song, not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because I wondered what the meaning was behind it. I knew that it was about loss of someone but I always felt it was much deeper than that. It was bothering me so much one night; I had to look it up. The results said the same thing, loss and/or losing your own life. After that, I just kinda excepted that as the answer but every time it played, the thought came back.

_At the end of the world_

_Or the last thing I see_

_You are_

_Never coming home, Never coming home_

As I began to brush my teeth, I looked out from my bathroom to see my alarm clock. _6:30. _"Shit!" I ran out of my bathroom with my toothbrush hanging from a corner of my mouth. In frenzy I ran around my room grabbing a pair of socks with bananas on them and my favorite pair of Chucks that my mom had specially made for me my freshman year of high school. They were aqua blue with purple polka dots on them.

Quickly, I threw my toothbrush into the sink and spit. Then I grabbed my backpack, my iPod and ran out the door at lightning speed. Rachel was sitting patiently in my driveway, reading a book. I ran to the door and threw myself in the car. "Morning." she said, taking a bite out of a chocolate TimBit from Tim Hortens. "Want one?" she asked, putting down her book and starting the car.

I reached over her and grabbed the box and popped one into my mouth. "You know, I just brushed my teeth," I said as she pulled out of the driveway. "But I simply can't resist these little guys." she let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes as we made our way to school.

* * *

><p>Lunch. It's everybody's favorite period of the day. It's a time to hang with friends, eat the bad food they give us, smoke, play video games, finish homework, or make a name for yourself. In high school it's a make it or break it place. For me, this was my breaking period.<p>

I held my brown lunch bag tightly in my hand and made my way to mine and Rachel's table in the far left corner. On the way to my table, we pass a wide variety of social groups. However, the one I always dread is the jocks and the cheerleaders.

They are the ones who make you. They decide your fate, which really stinks if you made a small mistake, like me.

After a long walk I finally make it to my table to see Rachel already sitting down with a large pile of mush sitting in front of her, "What in the lords good name is that?" I asked as I sat across from her.

She poked at it with her fork, "I think chicken, broccoli, and…" she lifted it up with her fork and then took a smell whiff at it. Quickly, she pulled back with disgust and held her nose, "And I think mayonnaise!" We both went green as she picked it up and threw it into the trash can as I began to pull out my extra salami sandwich. She sat down as I slid it over into her seating area.

"I don't even understand why you buy your lunch if all you're ever going to do is throw it away," I grabbed the other sandwich out of the bag and took a large bite.

She grabbed the other on and took a bite as well "It's because my mom works in the food distributing business that provides our schools lunches and always asks for feedback, even though every time she asks I say the same thing," she swallowed with a large gulp, "it sucks!" We both can't help but giggle slightly.

I pulled out my chips when something landed on our table with a loud thud. Rachel jumped at the noise, "What was that?" I leaned over and grabbed a carton of milk. I held it up in front of her, and I noticed a note.

_Hey Slipper, got milk?_

My entire face went completely hot with a deep pink blush. As it did, the jocks began cracking up. I looked over and Hayley gave a small little wave with an evil smirk. I crumpled up the paper in rage and Rachel snatched it away. "Amy, just ignore them, they aren't even worth it," she said tossing it behind her. I shook my head and I bit my lip.

"I'm not hungry anymore," I mumbled as I slid my lunch over to her. She looked at me sympathetically. I couldn't stay in the cafeteria anymore. What I needed was to see my dad. I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm gonna go to the science lab," I said, brushing my bangs out of my face. She got up and grabbed her bag, but I shook my head. "No, I kinda wanna go alone."

She nodded, "Okay, I'll go sit by the swim team. We have a meet on Saturday and I wanted to talk to Michael about it anyway." I gave her a soft smile and she returned it. The swim team was like the only other people either one of hung out with. It was mainly because Rachel was a starter and absolutely awesome. Then we went our separate ways. I kept my head low as I passed the popular kids, but I didn't turn invisible.

"Hey Slipper, how's it going?" one of the football players asked.

"Might not want to talk to her while she is walking, Jonas, she might slip!" one of the baseball players yelled. I kept walking while they laughed at me behind my back. But before I left the cafeteria, I heard something I would never expect.

"Guys, it's been two years since she did that, why don't you just leave her alone?" A male voice spoke clearly over the laughter. I didn't dare turn around but I felt like I knew that voice. It was the voice of our all-star pitcher, Zach Harr. He also turned out to be Hayley's boyfriend. That made the situation even more awkward.

I kept walking toward the science wing, not stopping at my locker. My dad wasn't in his classroom so I just decided to wait there until the period started, when I knew he would be back. But he walked in just seconds later. "Oh hey honey," he said as he put his lunch in his desk.

"Hey daddy," I whispered. I sat on one of the front desks and he walked in front of his desk to stand right in front of me.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded.

"I just kinda wanna stay in here for the rest of the day." I mumbled.

"Okay," he said with a smile. He didn't ask why or if I was okay after that. We did this a lot, especially when I was ahead in class and having a bad day. "Lemme tell your teachers you have a terrible headache and just wanna lay down."

"Thank you." I mumbled again as he kissed my forehead. I went to the back room as he sent out the e-mail.

I stayed there for the rest of the day with newsies blaring in my ear and reading _The Hunger Games. _It was my little sanctuary, no one disturbed me, no one came back…that is until last period. My head shot up just when the door opened. _Who dare disturb me? _I imagined myself saying but I decided against it, knowing my dad wouldn't appreciate it much. So instead I turned my music up even louder and pulled the hood of my hoodie high on my head. But I peered under it, trying to get a good look at who entered.

A boy with long blonde hair entered the room. He was perfectly tanned and had blue eyes the color of the ocean during the storm. It was Zach, our all-star pitcher, the class president, and the guy that stuck up for me.

I bit my lip, he didn't seem to notice me sitting there. He sat down at the table and began taking a test. It amazed me how quickly he wrote the words down or filled in the bubbles. Within a few moments, he was done and checking over his answers. "Whoa," I said in an almost inaudible whisper. Or so I thought, but I must have forgotten you always seem to make things louder when you have headphones on. He spun around quickly to face me. "Sorry," I mumbled as I pulled out my headphones.

"How long have you been there?" he asked. His eyes sparkled which made me angry. I wasn't really sure why but he was one of the people who have made my life hell for years.

"Uh, since I had a carton of milk thrown on my table at lunch," I said in a sour voice. He bit his lip and brushed his blonde bangs out of his face.

"Sorry about that, I tried to get them to stop…but you know Hayley…" he mumbled, letting a little of his New York accent slip through.

"Yeah, trust me, I know her." I said with so much anger. "After all, me, you, Rachel, and her used to be best friends." I whispered. I looked up at him; his eyes were down casted at the floor.

"I need to get back to class," he whispered. He grabbed his test and ran out the door with not so much as a good bye. I felt a small tear go down my cheek. I honestly missed Zach, he was my best friend and not to mention, ever since he moved here in 5th grade, I had a crush on him.

And seeing him with Hayley every day, it broke my heart everyday.

King of New York came on my iPod and right as the line, "A porcelain tub with boiling water" played through my ears I threw my iPod half way across the small room. "Damn you Spot Conlon," I mumbled. "Damn you Zach Harr."

That was the true reason of my hatred for Spot Conlon. Because he reminded me of Zach, the new Zach, the Zach that broke my heart. Another tear rolled down my cheek. The bell signaling last period was over sounded out and I wiped the tear away. I picked up my iPod and ran from the back room, giving my dad a small kiss on the way out.

I bolted to the parking lot to meet Rachel. She was leaning against her car picking her at her nail polish. "Hey sorry…" she shook me off with a smile and jumped in the car. I let out a small sigh of relief and we began to pull out of our spot but something pulled me to look out the window.

A car whipped around the corner, going at least 75 miles an hour. In the driver's side was the one and only, Hayley Stevens, yelling at the passenger. I took a quick look as they approached us to see it was Zach, and he was rolling his eyes and rubbing his forehead. Before I could tell Rachel to get back into the parking spot, our car launched into the air, turning around in spinning upside down while I discovered my door indented.

We landed on the ground upside down, "Rach…" I tried to look over the best I could, but it wouldn't go more than a small angle. She didn't respond and from what I could see, she had a huge gash above her eyebrow. "Rachel!" I tried saying a little louder. I turned a little more and fought off the pain. Her chest wasn't moving and I felt a tear escape my eye.

The song Ghost of You came to my mind as I felt something crawl up my throat. It tasted metallic and thick. I coughed and it landed on my shirt, it was blood.

Everything went red for a brief moment, then, my world filled with black, empty space.

**Some feedback would be nice(:**


	3. The Five Boys

_**First off, thank you for all of the fabulous reviews!(: they mean the world to me! You all get a cookie! (: : ) enjoy! Next, I truly hate doing different P.O.V.s but this chapter is all Spotty boy:(. So I apologize.**_

_**Wishing You Well Chapter 3: The Five Boys**_

_**Spot's P.O.V.**_

I rested my head against the brick building somewhere in the far side of Manhattan and pulled out a smoke. It was the first time I had actually gotten a chance to smoke all day and my nerves were going crazy.

Although, not having a smoke wasn't the only reason my nerves were on edge. I had been waiting for Jack and a few of his friends for an hour now to discuss things about Harlem.

Lately, their leader, Venom, had been sending his little birds into my territory. I haven't quite figured out why yet, but I decided to bring Manhattan in on it just in case.

Just as my cigarette was down to a small bud, I saw four shadowy figures walking down the street. They were joking around and talking. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes and walked towards them a little way. "Youse guys better have a damn good excuse of why you made me wait here for an hour." I said throwing my cig on the ground and stamping it out. The four boys stopped laughing and composed themselves.

"Sorry bout that Spot," a short boy with a cigar hanging out of his mouth said. His name was Racetrack, but we usually called him Race. "But we actually have a pretty good excuse." He smiled and fanned himself with his hat.

The four other boys nodded their heads frantically with huge smiles on their faces. "Well, what is it then?" I asked, not really in the mood for a lame excuse.

A boy named David scratched the back of his neck, "Well there was these goils…" I lifted my hand up with a smirk.

"Stop there my friend," I said jokingly with a laugh. The rest of the boys joined in. I stopped and made eye contact with the leader, Jack, who had matching brown hair and eyes. "Hey Jacky boy." I spat in my hand as he did the same and we shook. I went down the line of boys, giving the same gesture and they gladly accepted.

"So, Spot, what did you need to talk to us about?" A tall boy with tanned skin, who we all called Mush, asked. I looked around and lowered my voice.

"Not here." I whispered.

"We should get inside anyway, looks like nights comin'." David said in a low voice. We nodded in agreement and we began walking to the lodging house. It was a beautiful April evening. I had always loved springtime in New York, it was always so beautiful. Never to hot and never to cold, it was just perfect for the flowers to bloom. The flowers made me think of Nicole. Instantly my mood was brought down whenever she came into my head.

I pushed her out of my head as we rounded another corner into one of the alleys close to the lodging house. Suddenly, Jack stopped causing all of us to run into him. We all groaned and cursed under our breath but he didn't seem to notice. Instead he was staring towards the far end of the alley.

"Hey fellas, what do you suppose that is?" he pointed to a very large lump lying on the ground.

I squinted to try and get a better look but with the sun falling made it even harder to see in the dark alley.

"Maybe it's a bag of money!" Mush yelled. We all turned to face him like he was the stupidest person alive. He shrugged his shoulders and let his smile fall. I spun around and squinted again. This time though, I could see something. It wasn't a large lump, but two medium size lumps in a giant puddle. And from what I could see the puddle looked a dark crimson color.

Then it hit me. "Holy shit! I think its two different bodies!" I yelled. We all exchanged looks and took off running to the end of the alley where they were laying. Sure enough, laying before us was the bodies of two teenage girls lying in a pool of blood…and just to make matters worse, they were butt naked.

"Must be some whores who didn't impress too much," Race mumbled. "Still a damn shame they wind up dead in an alley naked…"

"Are…Are we even sure they're dead?" Mush asked. No one moved so I let out a small sigh as I got down on one knee. The knee part of my pants was covered with blood by the time I turned over the first body. She had sandy blond hair that just fell past her shoulders and she had very fair skin. She had rather large muscles for a prostitute but then again when you work the streets in New York, I guess you gotta be tough…from a basic look over though, she didn't look any older than me. And I could also tell that she wasn't the one that was bleeding.

It was her friend next to her. I had her back facing me, so I walked over to her side to almost immediately fall back on the ground. _It can't be! She is a spitting image of her.._. Her auburn hair was behind her in a loose bun and her complexion was absolutely perfect. She had a heart shaped face and her closed eyes looked like almonds. Her cheeks were slightly pink as the rest of her face was ghost white, but that was probably as to account of how much blood she lost. _Blood, you have to find were its coming from... _Instantly, I shot back into reality and searched her body until I found a huge whole on her stomach. "How did I miss that?" I mumbled.

"So are they dead?" David asked. I looked up to see they were all still about five feet from the bodies. I rolled my eyes and went to put my two fingers on her neck to check her pulse but suddenly her eyes opened and he arm went up and caught mine.

"Help Rachel, please!" she pleaded in an airy voice. Her breathing was shallow and I gave a small nodded before her eyes slowly shut and I don't know whether she died or just blacked out again.

"Who's Rachel?" Jack asked. I pressed my fingers down on her jugular. Her pulse was barely moving but it was there. _This one's a fighter…_

"Well, I would assume it is the girl next to her, you bone head!" Racetrack said as he smacked Jack in the back of the head.

I snapped my head to look up at them. "Who can run the fastest?" They all raised their hands and began arguing. I rolled my eyes, "SHUT UP!" I yelled. The leader in me was coming out. They all silenced immediately and turned to face me. I faced to Racetrack. "Race," he seemed to stand a little straighter, "run and get the doctor. We can find a way to pay him whatever he needs, just tell him to meet us at the lodgin house now!" Before the word 'now' left my mouth, he was gone.

"David, go tell Kloppman our situation. Tell him to make fresh beds in the room in the attic." He nodded and ran off in a different direction down the alley. Then I turned to Mush and Jack. "Okay Mush, take off your shirt."

"What?" he cried out.

"Just fuckin' do it!" he quickly slithered out of his as I did my own. He threw it at me and I wrapped it around the blonde girl, who I am assuming to be Rachel. I put my own around the girl sitting in front of me, be sure to tie it extra tight around her wound. "Okay, Jack, I need you to lead the way. Find us the fastest way of getting there." Jack nodded. "And Mush, I need your help carrying them." His eyes widened a little but he nodded in agreement.

He bent down and pick up Rachel like she was nothing but I'm sure she weighed more than she look. I then did the same with the other girl, but I had to be more careful. From what I could see, she couldn't lose any more blood if she was to live. So I gently rested one hand under her head and the other on her back. I picked her up like I was going to carry a baby and hiding its face. I tried to press the wound against my bare chest in order for more pressure to be added because my shirt was already a deep crimson color.

"Ready?" I asked once I had her situated. They both nodded and we bolted down the alley.

"It's only about three blocks from here," Jack yelled back to us. I let out a small breath and decided to do something I had only done about twice before…I decided to pray.

_Dear God, please help them! Just please give them safely to the lodging house! Don't let her die, I have seen so much death. Please don't add this to the list. Amen_

My arms ached so badly and my lungs were burning. But we couldn't stop, not even for a second. We reached the steps quickly and ran up them. David was waiting for us just inside the door, which is where he took the lead. He led us up the stairs into a room that held two beds.

I put the girl I was holding on the bed closest to the window. Immediately I sat down on the bed and pressed down hard on the wound. I felt three pairs of eyes on me but I shrugged them off. I knew they were probably shocked because the closest I've been to a girl without them trying to rip my clothes off or kicking them out of the lodging house in the morning.

The doctor arrived seconds later, out of breath, with his brief case tightly in his hand. His assistant standing next to him, giving a faint smile. Racetrack popped his head in behind him. "Which one is worse?" he asked rolling up his sleeve.

"Her!" everyone said, pointing to the girl on the bed before me. The doctor rushed over and pushed me out of the way.

"Please, give us space." The doctor mumbled. The boys piled out of the room with me reluctantly following behind them. But not before I looked back at the girl on the bed, I needed one last look at her face, to make sure she was going to be okay, but the assistant was blocking it from my view. I went out of the room and down the stairs.

When I arrived at the bottom, the four boys were sitting in the main sitting area. Mush still didn't have shirt on but a blanket draped over his shoulders. He had a single blood smear on his face. I looked down at my own body and realized I was covered in that girl's blood. Yet, somehow, I really didn't want to get clean, my hands were shaking really bad. All I really need right now is a smoke.

"Hey fellas, I'm gonna go out for a smoke." I announced. "Come get me when their done." Before they could respond, I was out the door, sitting on the steps. The sun was at the lowest point in the sky, so people on the streets were thinning out.

I pulled out my last cigarette from my pocket and a pack of matches. I swiped one of the matches but it didn't light. That's when I noticed that not only my body was covered in dry blood but my pants matched with the same crimson color. "God dammit..."

I held the cigarette in my mouth and pinched the bridge of my nose. There was a little shaking noise next to my ear. I looked up to see Race holding out box of matches, "Want some company?" I shrugged and grabbed the box. He sat down next to me and pulled out his cigar.

I swiped the match on the back of the box and lit Race's cigar and then my cigarette. I took a deep breath in. Immediately, my nerves were calming down. We sat in silence as we smoked. The streets were emptying out now that it was dark outside. I looked up at the stars. They were only a few out because it was so early in the night, but the ones that were out were twinkling brightly. A small smile crossed my lips.

I found my favorite constellation was out though, "Orion, the warrior." I mumbled.

"What?" I jumped at the sound of Race's voice. I had totally forgotten that he was still out here with me.

"Nothin'." I said. My smoke was done. I threw it into the road and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked over and saw Race staring at me. "What?" I asked defensively.

"I'm just curious Spot…" he began. "How did you know to put pressure on her wound?"

I bit my lip. "Common instinct, I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"But still Spot, you probably are the reason that goil has a chance at living." Race said. He turned back to the road, signifying he had nothing else to say.

"Yeah well…" was all I said. It was all I could say. We sat in silence once more until the door creaked opened behind us. We faced ourselves towards it to see Jack standing before us.

"Docs all done with em. Says he wants to talk to us," he said. We hopped to our feet and followed behind Jack. We all met in the sitting area and the doctor was wiping his hands.

"They are both very weak but stable. The blonde came away with a twisted wrist and a few cuts and bruises, so she should be fine in a few days. But I can't tell if she may have a minor concussion or not, I won't know that until she is awake. The other one, however, well she is lucky to be alive." We all took a breath in, "But ironically, she is stable." We let it out in unison. "She lost a good amount of blood but like her friend, she should be fine in a few days."

"How is that possible?" Mush asked.

"Yeah she had a giant, gaping hole in her stomach!" David said in shock.

"I can't explain it either," the doctor said scratching his head. "It's like one minute her body is fighting very hard to stay alive and then the next, she knew she would be fine."

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well thank you doc. We will pay you back as soon as we can…" he shook his head.

"No charge," he said with a small laugh. "Just bring me a free paper for the next few weeks." We exchanged glances and nodded all at once. He and his assistant left without another word. Once more, we all seemed to let out another deep breathe that we had been holding in.

"Well, there is one problem that we don't have to deal with," Jack said. "But now we have another one." We all looked over at him and he walked over to the empty fireplace. "What are we gonna do with two goils?"


	4. Time Gone By

_**Hey everyone, if you haven't read my authors note from Manhattans Queen, I have a legit excuse why I haven't been writing. A few months ago, I got in a really bad accident with my boyfriend. I broke my collar bone, right wrist and got bruised up pretty badly. My boyfriend is okay, just feels terrible. I'm sorry for the wait guys. Hope you keep reading.**_

_**Chapter 4: Time Gone By**_

I slit my eyes open to see a small ray of light come through the window next to where I was laying. It warmed my face, yet, the rest of my body was cold and numb. I reached down to grab my fleece sheets but the blanket, instead of being soft, was scratchy and rough. "Huh?" I said quietly to myself. My throat was dry and my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth.

My arm reached out for my water bottle, which usually sat on my bedside table, but it wasn't there. Now I was really confused. I opened my eyes fully to see a room I didn't recognize. There were rafters on the ceiling, instead of my black ceiling covered with stars. There was wood on the floor, instead of my light grey carpet. The walls weren't purple and blue stripes, but a plain white.

When I tried to sit up, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I groaned and layed back down against the pillow. As my head touched the pillow, someone knocked on the door.

"Why did you knock you bonehead?" a thick boy with a think Italian accent yelled from the other side of the door, "She's probably still passed out!

"I know but still its polite…" another voice responded. The door flung open to reveal two teenage boys. One was short with chocolate curly hair, sepia eyes, and he was holding a tray with what looked like bread and a small glass of water. The second boy had light brown curly hair as well but he had deep blue eyes that seemed to go on forever. I know I had never met these boys before, yet something seemed oddly familiar.

The shorter guy rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say." He looked over at me. "Holy smokes!" he yelled.

"Whaaaaaa….!" The blue eyed boy stare joined the shorter guys one.

"HEY FELLAS, GET UP HERE!" They yelled in perfect unison. Their yell was followed by the sound of stomping feet running up a set of stairs. Within seconds, a group of boys piled through the door. They all looked to be my age, however there was something in their eyes that made them look like they all have seen more of this world than me though.

Their jaws hit the floor as they looked over at me. Suddenly they all started speaking at once, running over to my bed side. I tried to scoot towards the wall to try and get as much space as possible between me and them, but the pain in my stomach wouldn't let me. "Fellas, calm down!" a voice said from the doorway. In unison, they all looked over their shoulder and I saw in between cracks of their boys, another taller and somewhat leaner boy, standing the doorway. "Give her room to breathe."

Without another word, they cleared a small path way. The taller boy from the doorway came closer. For the first time, I got a really good look at his face. He had deep mahogany hair with rich, cocoa eyes. Much like the others, he looked strangely familiar.

"Hey 'der," the tall boy said to me. "Would you like some water?" I gave a small nod and he gestured for the guy with the water over to my bedside. I took the cup in both of my hands and gently lifted it to my lips.

It tasted cool going down my throat, all the pain that was once there was gone. Although there were five sets of eyes staring at me while I drank, I didn't care at this point. I am so thirsty, I could drink Lake Erie for all I cared. The water was gone within seconds after the tall boy put it in my hands.

I swallowed the last bit with a small gulp. "Thanks," I spoke with a small rasp in my voice.

"You're welcome," the tall boy said. "And, welcome to the Manhattan lodging house for newsies. My name is Kelly, Jack Kelly. I'm the leader here."

"Kelly? Manhattan lodging house? " I said quietly to myself, "Those sound so familiar."

"Well, Jacky boy here is kinda famous around these parts, helped lead an entire strike against some big shots." The boy with the Italian accent said.

"Strike?" I whispered again. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me. My jaw hit the floor. Inside of my body, my lungs tightened. "No way..." I said in a smaller whisper. I tried to push myself up and all the boys jumped forward to help. Eventually a boy with an eye patch, which if my hunch was right, his name would be Kid Blink, helped me up while the Italian boy, or Racetrack, if my hunch was right of course, put a pillow behind my back.

"Thanks…" I mumbled. They backed away slowly. I turned my attention to Jack, "So you're Jack, right?" He nodded. "Well…would you mind if I asked you a question you're probably going to think is really stupid?"

He nodded again, "Um, well, what year is it?"

"The year?" he said with a small amount of laughter in his voice. All the other boys looked confused. "Um, well, its 1900."

I gasped, _This…is…this is impossible! "_What…" I said in a raspy voice. "You're kidding right?" By the look on their faces, I could tell that they weren't kidding. I brushed my hair out my face and held my face in my hands. "No, no, no…this isn't possible…" I whispered. I felt sick to my stomach and the room was spinning. I felt this way once before, when I was on the Scrambler in 4th grade, and that event didn't end so well.

"Jack," I heard someone say. By the sound of the voice, it was most likely David. "'Member the doc said she might have a concu…"

And then, for the second time in my life, I passed out.

When I woke up, it was dark on the other side of my window and a soft hand resting on mine. I looked down at it to see it belonged to Rachel. Her blonde hair rested on her back in a ponytail like it did at the time of the accident. When I saw her face, there was a gash above her eye that was stitched shut and her right arm was in a sling.

"Rach," I shook her gently. "Rachel." I said a slight bit louder.

Her head shot up, "I didn't do it!" she said in a dazed state. I cocked my eyebrow at her and her face lit up. "Amy!" She yelled. She jumped over and gave me the largest hug I have ever received. However, she landed on my stomach with her right arm. Immediately, we both jumped winced in pain. She jumped off of me and looked at me, and we burst out laughing.

Another pain went through my stomach as I laughed, which caused me to cringe, but laughter felt good. Like I hadn't laughed in years, even though it was only a few days ago we were in my basement, laughing our butts off to_ Newsies_. As our laughter died down, Rachel asked me if I wanted some water, and I shook my head frantically. This, of course, made her giggle more. She helped me sit up and gave me a cup of water. "Thanks," I whispered. Her response was her famous soft, motherly smile as she brushed my bangs out of my face.

"Geez, your hair is such a rat's nest." She got out of her chair and grabbed a brush from over in the corner. She climbed next to me on the little space left on my bed and began brushing my hair with her good hand. I gently sipped the water. Neither one of us spoke.

When I finished off the last sip, I finally got up the courage to ask the question I was scared of knowing the answer too. "Rachel," I whispered.

"Hm?" she replied sweetly, almost as if in a hum.

"What happened to us?" I asked, biting my lip. Her hand stopped moving on my hair. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Amy, I-I really don't know. The last thing I remember was getting into my car and then getting knocked off the side of the road and then waking up here with my arm in a sling and you passed out cold." She sounded sad. She came around to sit in front of me and faced me. "Do you remember any of the car crash?"

I thought about it but everything was a giant blur. I shook my head. "Figures, the guys told me that the doc said you might've had a concussion."

"The guys?" I said and then remembered the events of earlier today. "You mean the newsies?" she nodded.

"Yeah, Amy, they were really worried about you." She said looking down. "But now the confusing thing-how in hell did we get to the fricken early 20th century?"

"How am I supposed to know?" I responded. "I just woke up when they walked in and then passed out again."

"I know, I'm sorry- it's just I've been up for a couple days now and I've been so scared." She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I mean, I'm 111 years in the past with a crap load of people I've never met before and my best friend almost died in my arms.." tears were now falling over her bottom lids and down her cheeks. "And I feel so alone," her lip was trembling. "You scared me shitless, I thought I lost you." She was fighting back the sobs. "And I can't lose you, especially not now!" My throat tightened and my own pair of eyes began to water.

I opened my arms and Rachel climbed into them. "You aren't going to lose me, Chewy. Not now, not ever. I promise." Rachel was now full out sobbing and I squeezed her with as much as I possibly could. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Her sobs slowed down slightly and she sat up. "What are we gonna do Ams?" one last tear fell over her eye lid.

I leaned over and wiped it away with my thumb. "I don't know, Rach, I just don't know."


	5. Entrance of the Hero

**'ello everyone, i hope you are havin a loverly day (: hopefully, a new update will brighten it! one comment I want to make is..I am sorry if you find Spot to nice, just let me know, because in my other story he is a sweetheart so this is a change! **

**Written while listening too: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap**

**Chapter 5: Entrance of the Hero**

"Any pain when I press here?" the doctor pressed softly against an area near the wound on my stomach. It stung slightly, but nowhere as near as bad when I first woke up and he came to visit two days ago. I shook my head with a smile. He smiled as he began pressing other areas and I kept shaking my head, feeling only small stings every now and then. "Well, you're healing rather nicely now aren't we. I take it they take real good care of you guys around here?"

"Yeah, they're taking great care of us," I responded. "They make sure we eat, drink tons, and there is always someone in here to talk too."

"Not to mention they bring us gifts." Rachel added popping one of my chocolates that David brought me. She had finished hers when I still couldn't eat them so she decided to steal mine. I rolled my eyes and looked up back at my doctor, who was chuckling lightly.

Then there was a knock at the door slowly followed by Jack's head peering through. "Hey! How's the checkup goin'?" he asked stepping fully into the room.

"Its great, she is as healthy as a horse, and her wound is healing nicely. She should be up and walking later tonight if she wants." He looked over at me and once more, I nodded quickly. My legs have begun to ache from lack of movement.

Jacks face fell and he started rubbing the back of his neck, "Heh, well dat's great doc…" The room filled up with silence until the doctor began to pack up his stuff into his briefcase.

"Well, I best be going, I have three appointments left today. Just give me a ring if you feel any discomfort." He told me as he grabbed his hat from the edge of my bed.

"I will. Thank you," I said with a gentle smile.

He smiled back, "Ladies, Jack." He tipped his hat as he walked out of the room. Once again, it became eerily quiet. Jack still stood in the doorway rubbing his neck and biting his lip.

I sat up in my bed, breaking the silence with its squeaky springs, "Everything okay Jack?" I asked, fixing my shirt that Racetrack had lent me. It was a tad big and I am pretty sure if I stood up it would come to my knees but it was dry and warm so, I didn't complain.

Jack looked down at the ground and remained silent. Rachel and I exchanged glances. Rachel walked over to him and gently touched his shoulder. He jumped slightly and looked up at her, "Is everything okay Jack?" she repeated to him.

He gave a small half laugh from the back of his throat, "Not entirely."

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, leading him towards her bed. They sat down together and I turned to face them.

Jack took a deep breath in, "Well, um, our land lord…he uh, aint to happy bout the _two _of you livin' here ya see…"

"Oh," we both whispered in unison. Then, after a moment, Rachel shot a look at me. We both realized what was going to happen.

"He said he was gonna fire Kloppman for letting you guys bum here while you were sick…" he whispered looking down at his shoes.

"Oh my gosh! That's terrible." Rachel cried.

But my mind wasn't on Kloppman, it was on realizing the words that Jack had just told us. We weren't allowed to stay here. We were a century in the past, completely on our own, with no money and now no roof over our heads. Rachel's voice broke through my thoughts when she cried, "Tell Kloppman we will be out as soon as Amy can walk." And she kept on blabbering about how bad she felt.

Jack looked up at me, and that's when I caught it. His eyes were melancholy but under them, I saw something mischievous. Like when a boy puts gum in his sisters hair or put ants in the sugar bowl. He was planning something. There was something he wasn't telling us, but what?

I thought back to what he had said when he walked in. He said _he aint to happy bout the two of you…_the two of us. My eyes shot back to Jacks. "Wait…" I said cutting of Rachel. "You said he isn't happy about the two of us living here…" I licked my lips. "You mean to tell me, one of us can stay?"

He nodded. Rachel looked back and forth between us, "Well what happens to me then?" she whispered.

"What do you mean what would happen to you?" I asked. "Who said I'm the one staying?" Jack opened his mouth to say something but Rachel cut him off by standing up over me.

"It's obvious, you idiot," she screamed. "You're hurt, extremely hurt! You can't be out on the streets."

He opened his mouth again, but I cut him off this time. "Yeah, well, you wouldn't survive two minutes on the streets Rach! You're too innocent to be out on the streets."

"Who said anythin' about one being on the streets?" Jack finally blurted out in what sounded like anger. Rachel and I stopped cold and turned our attention back to Jack, who had somehow managed himself in between us without our knowledge.

"But," Rachel whispered. "I thought you said one of us had to be kicked out."

"I did say that, but you two loud mouths cut me off," he said with a chuckle. He patted Rachel's back and ruffled my hair. Rachel sat down next to me and he sat down by my feet. "Now you two gonna be quiet," we nodded and both bit our lips. "Good, like I said before, he will allow one of you to stay. Well, when he said that, the boys and I got to thinkin', what are we gonna do with the other one…and then..."

"And then, an angel appeared." A snarky voice with a thick Brooklyn accent came from the doorway. I didn't even have to look up to see who it belonged too. I knew the voice, and it made my blood boil. But just to make sure I was correct, I looked up.

Proving my hunch right, standing right before me was a teenage boy with a smirk playing on his lips. In his hands was a long black cane with a gold topper, which made him look richer than he probably was. He took his hat off of his head, allowing his long dirty blonde hair fall just gently below his eyebrows.

Everything about him, though, I knew. From his plaid shirt, to his red suspenders, all the way down to the gray cabby hat that he held in his hands. Although, one thing the movie didn't quite capture, was how haunting his eyes were. They were the color of the ocean after a bad storm, something that you don't want to mess with.

He put on the cockiest grin I have ever seen in my life as he looked over me and Rachel, "'Ey ladies, I'm Spot Conlon."

_**Also, don't forget to leave me a pretty little review (:**_


	6. Lucky, Fish and Final Decisions

_**Guess who is going to New York to see newsies on Broadway! This girl (: Mwhahaha! I am so excited! My muse came to me for this story so I have decided to add another chapter of this one. Please enjoy! Also the musical was amazing. I am so sorry I haven't updated…life has been hectic, and I know that is no excuse. I am sorry.**_

_**Chapter Six: Lucky, Fish and Final Decisions **_

"Well aint that just bloody fantastic?" I burst out before I could restrain myself. He scrunched his eyebrows together, causing a small crease in the center of his forehead.

"What did you say?" he asked. From the edge in his voice, I realized I got the fuse going. Not caring, I was about to repeat myself when a small, pale hand over my mouth. Rachel let out a breathy laugh and looked up at Spot.

"She didn't say anything, sir," she answered for me. Spot turned his attention to her, looked her up and down and shot her a million dollar smile that was intended to make girls go weak at the knees. Rachel giggled, and I shot a look up at her. What is she doing, being all flirty? Rachel doesn't even talk to guys that she doesn't know.

Seeing as she hasn't taken her hand off of my mouth yet, I stuck out my tongue out and gently flicked her hand. She let out a small squeal and ripped her hand from mouth, "That's disgusting Amy!"

I smirked, turning my attention back to the boy standing in the door way. He now looked me over with a confused look on her face. "Amy?" He said looking over to Jack. "Thought you said her name was Lucky?"

"Lucky?" I asked, feeling the same confusion as Spot as I shot Jack a glance.

"Oh yeah! Must've forgotten to tell you guys!" Jack said from the corner. He pushed off the wall and walked towards me. "While you were out the boys gave you a name. And they chose Lucky for obvious reasons…"

Right, of course, because I was lucky to still be able to breathe. With that I gave a smile small and a slight shake of the head. "Yeah, and you'll never guess what they named me!" Rachel said in an excited tone. Before I could answer, she continued. "FISH!" This caused me to give a short laugh, because that was the name my dad used to call her when she was a little kid. "Yeah, who woulda thunk. All I did was tell them I grew up in the water…I think they took it a lil bit too seriously." She said the last part almost under her breath so only I could hear.

I smiled again, until Spot cleared his throat. This made my smile fall into a frown and rolled my head to face him. "You need something?" I asked, allowing my annoyance break through again.

"Well, I was just thinking back to when we found you guys. And you know, I realized something," he said walking closer to the edge of my bed.

"Oh yeah, and what is that?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Well you never thanked me," he said, crossing his arms and cocking up his eyebrows.

This took me back more than any other thing that he had said since he stepped through the door. "What are you talking about?"

He shot a look over to Jack, who bit his lip. "You didn't tell her?" he said stepping forward towards him. And I don't know if it was just me, but Jack actually seemed intimidated by this little shrimp. My instincts jumped in and I came to Jacks rescue.

"God, leave him alone you jerk, I have only been up for a few days." I said grimly, crossing my arms. He stopped abruptly, mid-step and spun on his heels.

"You know, you shouldn't talk that way to the guy who saved your cocky ass." My enter body filled with shock faster than if I would have gotten hit with a bolt of lightning. Spot Conlon, king of Brooklyn, biggest jerk in the world…had saved my life. He couldn't have, he had to be lying. That's why he was smirking at me at this very moment, knowing he got me.

"You're lying.." I whispered. He let out a breathy laugh and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Really now? Does this," he pulled his shirt off to show a white undershirt, that was stained red near his chest. Stained with my blood… "Look like a fucking lie to you?" He half- shouted, half- cried. "Cause sweetheart, this aint somethin' I lie about." he began to button his shirt and tucked it in. I bit my top lip, feeling slightly ashamed. I looked over at Rachel, who was covering her face with her free hand, looking like she was going to cry. My eyes then went to Jack, who offered me a simple nod to let me know Spot wasn't lying.

My attention went back to Spot, who flipped his hair out of his eyes, his eyes waiting for my response. So I said the only thing I could, "You really are the one who saved my life…" I sounded ten years younger than I was. The corner of his mouth cocked up into the smirk.

"Well don't sound so surprised." He made the cockiness in his voice thicken. Then he shrugged his shoulders, as if waiting for something. "Well say it."

"Say what?" I asked.

"You're the greatest, best lookin' guy in New York and thank you for saving me." I cocked my eyebrow and pursed my lips. Jack chuckled in the corner and Spot smirked at me.

"Well thanks," I mumbled, half-tempted to roll my eyes, but I tried to make it seem sincere so I didn't. "I mean that…But you aint getting the other stuff." I grinned quickly and Rachel giggled. Spot dropped his smirk into a frown.

"Alrighty then, back to business," he turned to Jack, his tone turning serious. "I want the blonde." My head shot towards Rachel as her giggles ceased. It seemed as if her entire body shut down, and the color fell from her face. But it wasn't only her face that lost color…Jack was also as white as a sheet as he glanced over at Rachel.

"Well, Spot, she gets to decide," Jack said with his voice shaking as he gazed at Rachel. That was when I saw something I didn't quite expect, a spark. Just a small spark of compassion and passion. It clicked in my head immediately; Jack had begun to have feelings for Rachel. And from the way she looked back at him, well let's just say, I don't even Mush walking by shirtless could break that gaze.

"Uh, no Jacky boy, that aint how this works." He spoke with authority. "I want the blonde instead of the one who just seems to never shut up." He glared over at me as I clenched handfuls of the sheets in my fists. Jack opened his mouth to respond but Spot glanced over at him and he quickly shut it.

I couldn't believe it! Jack Kelley, my hero and the one I always looked up too, was afraid to stand up to someone who was a head shorter than him. Rachel whimpered in the corner, clenching her broken arm. No one seemed to notice but me when a single tear slid down her cheek to the floor. My eyes followed it all the way there and that was when I knew what I had to do.

"You are not taking her!" I screamed, barely able to contain it anymore. All three heads shot towards me, but I looked Spot right in his ice cold blue eyes. I licked my lips and calmed my tone down, "I mean, why would you want someone like her?" I tried to keep the shakiness hidden, but it was still coming through, so I prayed I was the only one that could hear it. "Someone who can't even lift her own chair by herself. What makes you think she would last two days in your care." Out of the corner of my eye I caught Rachel shaking her head slightly, as if she could read my mind. "No Conlon, what you need is someone strong."

At that, I pushed off my covers and with much pain, I very slowly push my legs over the edge of the bed. My feet made contact with the cool floor and with wobbly knees, I put all my strength and mind into standing. I couldn't stand straight up but I managed to put one foot in front of the other. When I lifted my left foot to take my next step, I stumbled and fell into my bed. Rachel shot her arm out to catch me but I swatted it away.

"No Rach, I need to do this alone." I said, looking up at Spot through my bangs. The corner of his mouths were down and staring at me intently. He seemed to be concentrating as much as me. Rachel, noticing this too, backed away slowly and stood next to Jack.

I took a deep breath in and pushed myself off my bed. I took another step, slowly and steadily. In my head I kept repeating the same pattern, _left, right, left, right_, until I felt my legs started giving out and I glanced to see how far I had gone. I was a few mere inches away from Spot. I tried to take one last step but my legs finally gave in. Jack and Rachel were at my sides just as I was about to hit the floor and held me up.

"That was amazing Amy." Rachel whispered in my ear. I gave her a small smile as I tried to catch my breath.

My stomach was on fire but I had one last thing left. I looked at Spot, who was still frowning. "So," I said with power. "When do we leave?"

One corner shot up on Spots face, "Tomorrow." I smiled and I felt the two on my side let out the breath they had been holding since I threw off my sheets. But Spot wasn't done. He uncrossed his arms and lifted my chin up, looking straight into my moss eyes. "But I walk fast, so be sure to keep up."

This time I was the one to smirk, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."


	7. Leaving My Home

**Hey guys! I shall try to update quicker (: I get out of school soon so it shall be a little easier to write now that I have the days!**

Chapter 7: Leaving My Home

That night, after an unusually large meal and walking up and down the steps of the lodging house to gain my strength, I was pooped. "Good night fellas," I yelled down the steps to the boys in the bunk room. I slowly shut the door, listening to each one of their special good nights. I had only been here for a few days but I had grown slightly attached to each and every one of them, and I knew I was going to miss them terribly.

Once the door was shut completely, I looked at Rachel with a smile on my face, but she wasn't smiling. She was sitting on her bed, and her shoulders were shaking. "Rach.." I said, walking over to her and gently placing my hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" sitting down on the bed next to her, I realized she was crying. "Oh sweetheart," I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her towards me, resting her head on my shoulder. "Please don't cry, please."

"I just…Amy, I just am scared for you!" she choked out. I rolled my eyes and let out a breathy laugh. I lifted her chin to look at me and wiped one of her stray tears away. Her eyes were downcast.

"Hey, look at me." She slowly allowed her eyes to meet mine. "I'll be okay, I'm tougher than all them Brooklyn boys put together. When I cross that bridge tomorrow, they'll have no clue what hit 'em."

She smiled and nodded. "You're right." I smiled right back at her and she wiped the rest of her tears away. She sniffed and I held out my sleeve. Wiping her nose on it, I looked down on it in disgust but then realized I was the one who had offered it. I put my arm down at my side and brushed my hair out of my eyes. We sat in silence for a while, with the sound of the few stray boys that were still awake to fill in the background.

"I am sorry about crying…" Rachel finally said. I looked over at her and shook my head.

"Don't be, I'd probably be crying but you know, I gotta keep up this don't mess with me persona." We both laughed at this only for me to be cut off by a large yawn. This had Rachel laughing even harder because apparently when I yawn, I make the weirdest face.

"Go to bed, Amy." I nodded, too tired to fight off the urge to spend our last night together laughing and telling jokes. I had a very long walk tomorrow on fresh legs, so I needed to sleep. I climbed off the bed and layed down in my own as Rachel came over and gently layed the covers over me. She kissed the top of my head. "Good night Ams.."

She started to walk away but I reached out and snatched her free arm, "Stay? Please." Rachel, without another word, climbed in next to me and I rested my head close to hers. We had done this ever since we were little kids, it was a way we found that we could comfort one another. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her close. Even though I was in a place that no one would ever find me, I was happy at least she was with me.

My eyes were fluttering shut when I had one last final thought, "Hey Rach…"

"Hmm," she groaned out, almost asleep herself.

"Don't ever let me wish on a star again." We both let out a small giggle and I allowed my eyes to close, letting the dream world take over.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Jack asked as I pulled the last few pieces of my hair into a tight fishtail braid. Earlier this morning Jack came up into mine and Rachel's room to wake us up, and he has been in here questioning me about leaving ever since. I know he felt bad for forcing me to leave, but honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal to me, I would rather it have been me over Rachel any day.

I quickly tied a small piece of string around my hair tightly and let out a sigh. "Jack, I don't have much of a choice. It doesn't matter if I wanted to go or not. I am stuck, so just stop questioning me like we can change it."

He looked down at the ground and nodded. "You're right, I just feel bad…" I simply rolled my eyes and turned back to the bed.

I folded a white shirt and put it gently into a small fabric sack that they had given me to carry my items in. In the sack, was a pair of old brown pants of David's', a white and blue shirt from Jack, and some lavender soap from Kloppman. And at the moment, I was wearing a simple pair of boots and black pants and a pink shirt that Rachel found buried in an old trunk.

Once the shirt was in the bag, I looked over my shoulder at Jack and Rachel. "Alright, I think I am ready to go." I turned back to the bed and picked up my bag.

"It's about damn time," I rolled my eyes and slung the bag over my shoulder. I turned around with my arms crossed in front of my chest, giving Spot an annoyed look. He must have been waiting downstairs because until now, it had been just me, Rachel, and Jack. He was leaning against the door way, with a cane in hand. After a few moments of looking me over, he smirked. "You heal fast."

I lifted my eyebrows up and nodded, refusing to say a word.

"Okay, let's go." He spun on his heels and began going down the steps. Jack, Rachel, and I all exchanged glances and could barely hold in our laughter. When I started packing this morning, we had a really long discussion about how I wasn't going to let that little king push me around. If he thought he had it easy when he got me, well he is in for a rude awakening.

We followed him down the stairs and once we were on the bottom floor, I felt my heart drop a little. I was really leaving the Manhattan Lodging house…I was leaving Rachel and all of my new friends, who even though I have grown up with them in the movie, I never got the chance to truly know. I stopped mid step, with my hand on the rail and my face looking far off into the halls.

At the bottom of the steps, the Jack looked back up at me while Rachel and Spot went to the door. "You okay Luck?" Jack asked abruptly. I bit my bottom lip and looked at them. To my surprise, they had been joined by the rest of the newsies in Manhattan, all looking up at me. It was strange, it being so early in the morning for them to be here when they should be out selling. That's when it hit me. They all took the day off to say good bye to me.

With a sad smile and water filling my eyes, I nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay." I readjusted the bag on my shoulder. "I just need a big hug from you guys."

Everyone laughed as I took the last two steps gently. Once on the floor, I was surrounded by a mass amount of teenage boys, all of them hugging me. I couldn't help but let out a small sob but it was soon met by uncontrollable giggles. Because for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged somewhere. I also realized that wishing on a shooting star, isn't bad all the time.

After a few minutes, the boys separated and made a path for me towards Jack. Next to him was Mush, Racetrack, and David. I walked over to them. When I got there, I noticed that David had his hands behind his back with a mischievous look on his face. In a matter of fact, they all looked mischievous.

"What's going on guys?" I asked.

"Well, we figured since Spot's probably gonna make you sell papes, that you would need something to protect your pretty little head from the sun." Racetrack said. David pulled his hands forward to reveal a small gray cabby hat. It was perfect!

"Now you can be a real newsie," Jack said with a laugh. I took the hat in my hand and smiled, jumping into the boys arms, giving them the biggest hug I could manage. It was probably the greatest gift ever and I loved it more than anything.

While I was hugging them, I looked over their shoulders and saw Rachel, who was standing closest to the door. Her good arm wrapped around her body, as if she was trying to hold herself together. But it was her expression that truly made me feel my stomach drop. She was smiling, but not one of her beautiful, happy smiles. It was more like she was going to cry, yet she was holding it in.

I released the boys and pushed through them gently. They didn't fight back or anything, just simply let me go through. I stopped right in front of Rachel. As I did, she looked down at the ground and she let out a small sob. Now, I felt the tears form in my eyes and I threw my bag on the ground and my arms went around her, hugging her as tight as I could.

I don't know how long we stood there in each other's embrace, I just know I didn't want to let go. Because the minute I let go, I would lose the one thing that keeps me together when I am in pieces. I lose the girl who has never judged me or left me even though I know I annoy the crap out of her. I lose my best friend and will move to a world where we have no idea what is happening. I just wasn't ready.

As if Rachel read my mind, she gave me one final squeeze and pushed me back so she could look me in the eyes. "You can do this, you're so strong. But if you ever feel like falling apart, I'll be just across the bridge; you'll know where to find me always." She lifted up her finger to my cheek and wiped away a tear. I hadn't even realized I had been crying. But when I looked down at her shirt, it was soaked with my tears. She gave a small smile and then she brought me back into her arms once more and squeezed me tighter than ever before. I let those words sink in, and whether she knew it or not, she helped me realize I was ready. I was strong enough to do this alone.

After another moment, I pulled back and looked at her one more time. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was stained with tears. "You better get going," she whispered. I nodded and looked over my shoulder at the big group of boys and could hardly believe the sight.

They were crying, well some of them anyway. Most looked funny as they tried to fight back tears with the occasional sniffle here and there. I let out a small laugh and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. I picked my bag up off of the floor and turned to face them with the hat in my hand. "Thank you guys, for everything, I owe you guys so much. It kills me to leave when I feel like I have but only started to get know you all. I'll be back to visit whenever I manage to escape from Spot's clutches." A few boys laughed and the rest smiled.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen." I heard Mush yell from the back and all the boys roared with laughter. I joined them and I even saw Rachel giggle a little. A pain shot through my stomach and I stopped immediately, I didn't want to overdo it because I had a long walk ahead of me. Outside, I heard the clock near the square chime ten times.

"Well, see you guys soon." I yelled and received many good-byes and some 'I'll miss youse'. I spun on my heels and put one foot over the door ledge, giving a small wave over my shoulder and stepped out into the bright sunlight.

Spot was at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the railing, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. I looked him over, looking at him for the first time for real. He was wearing a white shirt that was buttoned half way so you could see a little bit of his chest and red suspenders, that I am sure he wore every day. He was looking far off into the streets and the way the sun hit him, it made his tan skin look even browner. He didn't look that bad actually, kind of cute actually.

I smacked the side of my head. What was I thinking? Spot isn't cute, not in the least. He is arrogant and cocky, two things I hate in a male. Oh and he smokes! That is a big no-no. And not to mention, he looked just like Zach, that jerk. Instantly my good mood was brought down and I climbed down the rest of the steps.

On the last step, I cleared my throat and Spot shot his glance towards me. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stomped it out. "Finally ready to go?" he asked.

I took a deep breath in and looked back towards the door. Rachel, Jack, and the three other boys that I had grown to love, all stood at the door, smiling. I nodded once more and pulled my hat onto my head. "Yeah, let's go Spotty boy."


	8. Crossing the Bridge

**Hey guys! So I am officially done with school! AHHH! (: Be expecting more writing soon (;**

**Chapter 8: Crossing the Bridge**

Spot wasn't kidding when he told me he walked fast. I practically was jogging to stay relatively close to him. The pace wouldn't be terrible if I hadn't just been through stitches and surgery. But now, after twenty minutes of jogging, my stomach was aching in agony, begging for me to stop. To sit down and breathe. But I didn't, instead, I kept going and pushing on, fighting through each agonizing step.

Most of the walk was quiet, except for the few times Spot would tell me to 'hurry up'. Most of the time though, he wouldn't even grace me with words. He would just simply shoot a glance back for enough amount of time for me to give a smirk and pretend like I am okay, even though, I know tonight is going to be hell.

After another ten minutes, at the very tip of my sight, I saw what my eyes had been begging to see. Before us was the Brooklyn Bridge and just about four blocks on the other side, was the Brooklyn lodging house. I felt the corners of my mouth turn up in relief as I let out a sigh as well. Right at the end of the bridge, Spot stopped suddenly, causing me to run into him.

"Okay, yeah cause I totally wasn't walking right behind you." I mumbled, readjusting my bag on my shoulder. As I did so, Spot spun around to face me, taking me by surprise when our faces nearly touched. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me even closer.

"Alright, sweetheart, listen up," he whispered sternly. "You think your funny, well you aren't. You aint in Hattan anymore, so stop with the smart ass comments. Jacky boy may put up with it, but not me. I will not put up with you calling me shrimp or little king…"

"What about Spotty boy?" I asked, allowing the sarcasm drip from word. I really did not want to be commanded by him, and I wanted to let him know that. In a matter of fact, when I said this, his entire body tensed and his face turned stern.

"Especially not that," His face began to pink and slowly went to red and he his shoulders started to shake. He dropped his cane, and it bounced against my ankles. Suddenly, I realized I had hit a nerve that shouldn't have been touched. And I realized, he was still holding, tightly, on my wrist. I tried to pull away but his grip got even tighter.

"Spot, let go," I shouted, feeling my heart race. Every time I tried to pull my wrist away, he would grip it tighter. He was looking down at the ground, and mumbling to himself. Out of the corner of my eye, through the mass of people, a young cop was staring at us. I thought about screaming for him but then I caught something in the corner of his eye. A small droplet of water, forming into a tear. My heart sank deep into my chest because Spot, in the middle of the city, was going to cry over a simple nickname.

As the cop started to make his way over to us, I put my free hand gently over Spot's on my wrist. His face shot up and his blue eyes stared at me in pain. "Spot, please let go." I asked gently. He did so and his hand dropped to his side, not taking his eyes off of me. "Thank you." I whispered rubbing my wrist. I examined it, noticing only a few bruises, not that big of a deal. His face changed to horror when he saw my wrist as well.

"Is there a problem ma'am?" the cop asked when he came up next to us. I quickly put my wrist behind my back and flashed a huge smile.

"No, officer. Everything is alright, thanks though." I said in an extremely girly voice. He looked over at Spot, who was still looking at the ground. Then back at me.

"If you say so," I nodded. "Alright, have a good day ma'am." He tipped his hat and walked away. I looked back over at Spot and let out a deep breath of relief.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered like a child, begging their parent for forgiveness.

"It's okay," I said gently again. Sure, I was mad that he almost broke my wrist but there was something telling me to just let it go and to act like it never happened. Which is apparently how he wanted to take it too because mere seconds later, all traces of water was gone from his eyes and he returned to the normal Spot as he bent over to grab his cane.

When he stood up, he bit his lip and adjusted his hat. "How bout we call a truce?" He said, cocking his eyebrow.

I let out a single breathy laugh with a smirk gracing my lips, "Sure, why not?" We didn't shake on it or anything. Just simply gave a single nod towards each other. Yet, somehow, in that second, I felt our relationship change slightly, but I wasn't sure in what way yet. Just that it already seemed different. We started over the bridge, but he slowed down slightly and walked closer so I could hear him.

"Alright, so before we arrive at the lodging house, there are a few rules I wanna lay down for youse. First off, when youse are selling for the first few days I want youse to be either with me or my second, Blitz, at all times, kay?" As I nodded, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and swiped a match off the side of the bridge. I sneered at the cigarette, finding the habit disgusting. "Good, cause Brooklyn aint exactly the safest place for someone like youse."

"Someone like me?" I asked slightly offended.

"I didn't mean that offensively." He said through his cigarette, which rested gently between his lips. "I meant that youse a goil and youse could use some protecting."

I chuckled, "Okay, whatever you say."

"Just for a little bit," He threw his cigarette of the bridge and let out the final puff of smoke. As we walked past a fruit cart, while the carts owner was helping another customer, Spot snatched an apple and took a large bite out of it. I lifted my eyebrow at him and he glanced over at me. "What?" he said with his mouth full of half chewed apple bites.

"Oh nothing, just thought you know, that stealing was illegal." I said in a know it all voice. He simply shrugged and took another bite. I waited for him to finish so he could finish the rules. Finally about half way across the bridge, he threw the thin core over his shoulder into the Hudson River.

"Next off, there is only one bedroom in our lodging house and that belongs to me. So I hope you don't mind sleeping in a room full of teenage guys." I probably should be more concerned than I really was, but to be perfectly honest, it wasn't that big of a deal. But to give him satisfaction, I gave a small grimace and he smirked.

"Third of all, you aren't allowed to fool around with any guy from the lodging house." This one shocked me a little. But he continued, "You're the first goil we've had for…" he paused for a second, letting his eyes downcast. But just as quickly as the fell, they were back up, "For a long time. So they aint used to having one around, and they may try to, you know, get a little friendly. Don't let them, and if I catch you fooling around with any of them, you're gonna be outta there in a matter of minutes. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." I said with a smile. On the inside, I was laughing because what guy in their right mind would try to kiss me or even like me. It hasn't happened yet in my lifetime and I don't think they would start now.

"Perfect. Now, what else…" he held his finger up to his chin as if in deep thought.

Then he gave a small snap as we stepped over the end of the bridge into the city, "Oh yeah, curfew is whenever the sunsets for the lil ones and ten for us."

"Y'all have curfew?" I asked, feeling that it was kind of childish.

"Yeah, of course we do. You aint never been in Brooklyn at night, it's not something you want to be out in." And I could see why. Because after a few steps off of the bridge, I can already tell that the streets are far more packed than Manhattans. You couldn't even see in front of you, just someone's back. I looked around in terror and felt myself get closer to Spot.

"Stay really close to me," he whispered into my ear. Then he did something that blew my mind to the moon and back, he held out his hand out to me. I hesitated to grab it.

"Trust me?" He said, but I could tell he was nervous about it too. Somehow, this made me feel slightly better. I slid my hand into his. It was big, my hand only was about half the size, and it was rough from the many days of hard work. I wondered if this is what Zach's hand would feel like.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Spot began pulling me through the large group of people. He didn't pause to say excuse me or sorry when he pushed someone, he just ran as fast as he could, pulling me along. If I thought the jogging was bad, well let's just say running felt like someone stabbed me sixty times. After a few seconds the pain was so bad I felt my head get light.

"Spot," I called out urgently, feeling my breath get short.

"Don't worry Lucky, we are almost there!" he called back. My palms started to get sweaty and my hand started to slip from his grasp.

"SPOT!" I screamed. Just as I did, Spot stopped abruptly in front of a large brick building. He released my hand and my body immediately doubled over. The pain was now radiating through my entire body. My eyes started to well up with tears, begging God to take the pain away. I bit my lip to stop the scream that formed.

"You okay?" I heard Spot ask. He came over and put his hand on my back. As he does, I shoot straight up, adding to the pain. I wince but then I look over at him, I can tell he feels bad in a way. So I slapped on a smile and put my hands on my hips.

"I'm okay, let's go!" I grabbed his hand and started to jog away, even though my stomach rejected the idea. But I felt a tug on my arm and I turned back to a smirking Spot.

"Where ya going?" he asked.

I turned to face him, confused. "Well to the lodging house, that's where we are going right?" I asked pointing over my shoulder. He started to laugh and turned towards the brick building we stopped in front of.

"You're already here." He said pointing to a sign. I looked up and saw what he was talking about. It read BROOKLYN NEWSBOY LODGING. I felt my cheeks go pink and out of the corner of my eye, Spot's smirk doubled in size. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay wise guy, you gonna let me come in?" I asked in a flirty slash jokey tone. He rolled his eyes in response walked up the steps with me close behind. He stopped half way up and I stopped a few steps down. "You okay.." I asked this time. His face was down and he looked over his shoulder a little at me.

"Do me a favor…" he whispered. "And pretend like you hate me. That we aren't friends." Just when I felt that I could finally maybe start to like Spot, he wants me to hate him. I was more confused now than I have been since I arrived in New York. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off when he turned on the step to face me. "Please, I gotta keep up an image in front of my boys and everyone else and I can't be seen with…with a friend that's a goil."

I bit my lip and looked down towards the steps. I caught a glimpse of my wrist, the bruises were small but visible. As much as I wanted to hate him for them, I couldn't. I don't know why, but I don't want to do what he asks me. But instead, I scratch my arm and look up at him. "Yeah, sure I can do that. Won't even be that hard, you know, cause you're kinda an ass." He gave a small sad smile and I met with my own.

"Thanks Lucky," I nodded and he turned back to the door and continued up the rest of the steps. He gripped his cane and grabbed the door handle. I looked at his back go up and down as he let out a sigh. When I reached the top step, I jumped at the sounds I heard. Screams and laughter mixed together on the other side of the door and Spot smirked.

"Welcome to Hell." He said as he threw the door open.


End file.
